


Drawing a Blank When I'd Rather be Drawing You

by La_Mu



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Artist! Vernon, Awkward Flirting, Dancer! Chan, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Seungkwan is number one wingman, author mentions love for Verdi's eyes alot, boy crushes, somewhat slowburn, very lowkey stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27345457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/La_Mu/pseuds/La_Mu
Summary: Vernon is an art major and has to do a project but is in desperate need of a model. Enter Lee Chan and the obstacles of being awkward, in college, and most importantly, in love.
Relationships: Chwe Hansol | Vernon/Lee Chan | Dino
Comments: 1
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

“I hate this”  
Vernon confides in Seungkwan, doodling random nothings onto his sketchbook and looking like a sad puppy. Seungkwan rolls his eyes, stirs his drink and gives his usual snide comment.  
“Who thought it was a good idea to major in art?”  
The thud of Vernon’s head against his sketchbook is all the reply that the older one needs, going back to scrolling on his phone as usual while Vernon has his midday crisis.  
Why had he become an art major? He had never taken an art class prior to college and, sure, while his art skills aren’t horrible (definitely improving with time) he looks at what his classmates manage to come up with, making him feel just that much more insignificant.  
“I was going to prove myself this project”  
He mumbles and, to anyone else it would’ve just been that, but Seungkwan reveals an endearing smile when listening to the younger’s complaint.  
“Yeah, yeah, I know, too bad you can’t find a model”  
“Well, there’s you”  
The two go silent before Seungkwan bursts into a laugh, startling the quiet tea shop they reside in quite often.  
“You’d draw me? Wow, I’m so honored!”  
Vernon can’t help but feel embarrassed at the older’s teasing, perhaps knowing that anybody subjected to being drawn by him should feel anything but honored.  
“Whatever, just stay still for a second while I get a feel for what exactly I’m doing” Seungkwan does as he’s told, Vernon instructing him a little further by telling him not to look directly at Vernon but rather out the window they sat next to. Then Vernon began sketching. One big reason Vernon hated this project was because it had to be done with just sketching pencils, no allowance for color at all and, at least Vernon likes to think, where he lacks in drawing technique he makes up for in creative and unique color combinations.  
Another reason of course being, he despises having to find a model to draw, he’s done it before, within his friend group there’s a lot that volunteer, but he never feels right sketching them. They sit right before him, waiting to be made into art but Vernon just can’t capture the fine details of people because they don’t leave such strong imprints on their head.  
“Agh!”  
Vernon lets out, his sketchbook and pencil collapsing onto the counter.  
“Couldn’t ‘get the fine details’ could you?”  
Vernon shakes his head that he’s cradled into the inside of his elbow, scratching at his beanie and wondering just what isn’t right.  
“You knew I couldn’t draw you, didn’t you?”  
Seungkwan giggles,  
“You’ve tried drawing Seungcheol, Mingyu, Joshua and plenty of others but always come to the same conclusion, of course I knew I wouldn’t be an exception but, hey, now you know”  
Vernon groans again, flinging his head back and letting the cracks of it relax him.  
“How am I supposed to find a model like this? I draw strangers better than this!”  
Vernon motions at the rough sketch of Seungkwan of which Seungkwan doesn’t see any problems with but, Seungkwan has seen Vernon at his full potential and he trusts that whatever Vernon is satisfied with would be approximately 10x than the rough sketch.  
“It’d be weird if you just sketched a stranger though, you’d have to go incognito.”  
He teases but, Vernon nods his head seriously contemplating whether that would be the best option as of now.  
“Don’t. It’s creepy and I don’t associate with creeps.”  
Vernon scowls/pouts at his friend.  
“What am I supposed to do? Ask random people if I can draw them? Would that be any less freaky?”  
The older nods as he sees the valid point Vernon is bringing up, it really is a dilemma. Suddenly an amazing idea strikes Seungkwan.  
“I have a friend you can draw! He’s a dance major so he can do cool poses too! I mean I always wanted to introduce you two so this is, like, perfect, I’ll text him right now!”  
Vernon eyes widen at that as he repeats frantic ‘no’s but Seungkwan has fast fingers and is a resilient man, avoiding every tug and pull Vernon gives him.  
“Don’t worry, you’ll love him, he’s not awkward at all.”  
Vernon highly doubts any of those because the guy’s a friend of Seungkwan and Seungkwan knows how to attract weird people, but he supposes it’s better than nothing, he can’t really do anything about it now.  
“I’ll take you to the dance studio after your class is over. How about that?”  
The younger nods, still not completely satisfied but, hey, this is college you make do with what you can.  
“Oh my god, class!”  
Vernon realizes that college still exists, rushing to stuff all of his papers and books into his bag before running out of the shop, all while Seungkwan laughs maniacally at him.  
“Meet here after class okay!”  
All Vernon can do is give a thumbs up as he practically sprints out, the cold air hitting hard but nothing can stop a man like Vernon from keeping a perfect attendance score.

“Did you make it to class on time?”  
Seungkwan teases as Vernon walks up to the front of the shop he had just been at no more than 2 hours ago. Vernon makes a face before the two of them head off towards the dance studio. Vernon has never been to the dance studio, he knows where it is because he’s been on campus long enough that he knows where most things were, but he can’t say he’s ever been inside.  
“So, what’s the guy’s name?”  
“Hoshi, he’s a year or 2 older than you, fun guy.”  
Vernon nods looking at the glass panels to the entrance of the studio.  
“You’ll like him, perhaps this is your chance to branch out a little more too, get some performance friends.”  
Vernon sneers at that because he knows theater kids are the worst, but perhaps dancers might just be alright.  
A sigh escapes the two boys as they enter the warmness of the building, it felt like just yesterday was summer, now fall brings a new kind of harshness. Seungkwan pulls out his phone from his pocket as he guides Vernon to wait by the vending machines. Vernon stares at those practicing through the glass walls, feeling somewhat intimidated at the aspect of having to draw a person with such control over their body, though it would be fun to draw someone in motion, might even be the ‘proof’ Vernon needs to set himself up against his peers.  
“He said he’s in dance room 7, should be on the second floor.”  
They do their best to navigate smoothly, which always has a small hiccup but walking in on someone passionately krumping isn’t the worst place they’ve found themselves. Luckily, Hoshi was waiting outside of his dance room, leaning against the wall and scrolling through his phone.  
“Hoshi, we have arrived!”  
Seungkwan scurries towards his friend to greet him, Vernon at a safe distance behind. The two friends chit chat for a while and Vernon finds he has nothing to distract himself with (the second floor dance rooms don’t have the glass walls like the ground floor) so he just awkwardly nods along as the other two giggle for a solid couple of minutes.  
“This is Vernon, he’s an art major”  
Hoshi looks at Vernon, holding his hand out to greet him.  
“Hoshi, very excited to meet you, Seungkwan talks a lot about his stupid frie-”  
A harsh smack hits Hoshi’s back pushing the air out of him momentarily.  
“Not stupid! Special!”  
Vernon gives a phony smile at Seungkwan as if those words were any better.  
“Nice to meet you too...”  
The three converse among themselves, trying to establish a possible rhythm to, you know, make this less awkward than it has already proven to be. Though Vernon must admit, Seungkwan does have a way of attracting weirdos, very warm and easy to talk to weirdos.  
“Do you dance here everyday?”  
Vernon eventually asks, trying to figure out where he should find Hoshi when he needs him for modeling. Hoshi nods,  
“Yeah, me and my friends practice here everyday. I’m usually here 2-5 but, man, you should see how long the others stay. I swear, I’ve found them sleeping in there at times, they’d live there if they could.”  
Vernon laughs, he understands, he finds the same recurring students in the art room when he goes in and out to pick things up. Vernon’s always been jealous of those who can hold such a passion for anything, especially for so long.  
“Well, before you make any final plans, Vernon should at least rough sketch you first, he’s very picky about his models.”  
Vernon opens his mouth to protest but is, of course, cut off by Seungkwan.  
“He’s tried drawing nearly everyone and still claims that ‘it doesn’t feel right’ or that the ‘essence isn’t there’, it’s ridiculous, he insists he can only draw strangers”  
Vernon opens his mouth to explain himself except he’s cut off again just this time by Hoshi. (Vernon has to laugh to himself a little at just noticing the likeness of the two, especially in their chattiness)  
“Well then, let’s get to it before we become too well acquainted”

So now they’re here, on the grounds of the hallways between two practice rooms one of which has light hip hop music coming out of it, with the squeaks and clacks of sneakers. Seungkwan sits right next to Vernon against the wall while Hoshi is seated a few feet in front of them.  
“Are you sure it’s okay to miss practice with your team?”  
Seungkwan asks, he’s been continuously asking Hoshi questions to try to keep the both of them entertained but Vernon would much rather they let him draw in silence.  
“It’s fine, they practice without me all the time, no matter how much they do though, they’ll never get better than me”  
The two laugh and Vernon frowns at just how much the two move, Seungkwan even bumping his arm.  
Vernon tries to regain focus on his drawing, so far it isn’t looking too bad. He drew Hoshi smiling, although he wished he would’ve maybe drawn it wider. He thinks it still shows the little bit of what makes up Hoshi in Vernon’s mind. Strangers are so easy to draw, you can simplify the feeling you want your art to portray with such little effort. Vernon thinks too deeply about those he loves, is afraid his sketches don’t do justice to the complexity of them, so strangers are a go to for Vernon, he’ll usually look up pictures online or find someone in a far away place to draw from afar but this is the first time he’s drawn a stranger so up close, he wonders if he’s doing them justice. Is Vernon doing Hoshi justice? Hoshi is complex in the same way that Vernon’s friends are, like Joshua or Seungcheol, he has a certain energy that just can’t be expressed through a single sheet of paper, he gives off much of the same atmosphere as his friends as well. What if this should be a bigger picture than Vernon initially had thought?  
Vernon groans, burying his face into his palms, Seungkwan immediately knowing what this all means.  
“Oh come on, are you saying you can’t draw Hoshi?”  
Hoshi looks at the two confused before finally realising what’s happening.  
“Did I become too familiar too quickly?”  
He jokes, but Vernon is just now starting to realise the hopelessness of the situation.  
“I’m sorry it’s just-”  
Hoshi cuts him off, a feeling Vernon knows he will get used to as time comes.  
“Don’t worry, I get it, I’m an artist too you know, I just express it differently.”  
Vernon whines again, to which Seungkwan tells him to politely shut up.  
“What do I do now?”  
And, yes, that’s a very good question. What was Vernon supposed to do now?  
The three think for a while, well more of Seungkwan and Hoshi racking their brains and trying to think while Vernon sulks.  
“What about one of my teammates”  
Hoshi points to the door he greeted them at and it hits Vernon that those squeaks and clacks of the sneakers were caused by someone, which is a small and stupid revelation but a revelation none the less.  
“Yes! Hoshi proved to be helpful anyways!”  
Seungkwan jolts up, pulling at Vernon's arms to bring him to his feet as well.  
“I won’t tell you a word about these people, just look through the window on the hall adjacent to this one, you can see us practicing there. This way you won’t personally know who you’re drawing and they won’t know you’re drawing them”  
Vernon laughs at the ridiculousness of his conditions, what kind of artist has to completely disconnect from his model? But still, he accepts them because this really is his last option. Seungkwan and Vernon wander to the other side of the dance room, a wall they had not previously passed. It seems as if Vernon was wrong about the second floor not having any windows because there's decently sized ones just at the back of what looks to be every dance room.  
“You’re crazy, couldn’t even draw someone you barely knew? Well, if this fails I’m officially giving up on you”  
Vernon ignores Seungkwan’s sassiness (as per usual) and instead focuses on the dancers. There’s 4 of them in total including Hoshi, all very distinct in their own way.  
There’s a tall, skinnier one, who by far has the most hair out of the four (his hair is also a pretty color of red but Vernon has to ignore color even if his conscience tells him to do otherwise). The guy’s also dressed the best out of anyone there, which might be unnecessary given where he is but effort is always commendable.  
The second guy is just about as tall as the last, he has a pointed nose and heavy eyelids accompanied with a boxy like smile. He wears clothes close to what the other two are wearing, something more casual and laid back, breathable and flowy.  
The last one is the shortest out of all of them, though Vernon could hardly care because he knows he wants to draw him. Not because of his stature, or the baggy clothes that don’t often flatter those who wear them. Not because of the way his hair moves when he dances, not even how he dances which is crisp yet fluid and oddly hypnotizing. None of those were reason enough to draw Vernon in, but his eyes. Vernon only caught a glimpse through the dance room mirror but they held an intensity and passion that Vernon wanted to depict, no matter how challenging that might prove to be.  
“Woah, they're all so good, have you decided if anyone here is worthy enough for your master-hand, artist Vernon?”  
Seungkwan gets no answer from Vernon, he looks to see why his friend remains unresponsive until he notices him staring at a particular boy, he smiles to himself.  
“I’ll take that as a yes”


	2. Chapter 2

Vernon tries his best not to talk about his model project anymore unless need be, there’s something somewhat off putting about drawing someone without them knowing. Yes, Vernon has done this before, lots of times, but this time it was a different kind of feeling. Much to Vernon’s surprise though, Seungkwan has shut up about it for the most part, hasn’t even pushed to see who he has his eyes on for modelling. He still insists on going to the dance studios with Vernon, he likes watching the dancers and talking to Hoshi. Vernon makes it clear that Seungkwan cannot talk about any of the other dancers to him because he fears it’ll just throw him down the same pit of despair again.  
“I’m pretty familiar with all of them, but you haven’t even told me who you’re modelling, not that I care, if I knew I’d probably find it hard to not talk about them with you.”  
“Why thank you, anyways, how well do you know them?”  
Seungkwan gives Vernon a warning look  
“You’re walking on thin ice, mister. Whatever happened to staying strangers? Isn’t this your whole drawing philosophy or something?”  
Vernon rolls his eyes  
“Can you really not tell me how acquainted you are with them without telling me their deepest and darkest secrets?”  
Seungkwan ponders that for a moment...Can he?  
“Well, I’m familiar with them, some more than others. Satisfied?”  
Vernon nods, keeping his disappointment to himself. Why was he disappointed? He doesn’t know but, what he does find is that with each passing day he gets more and more excited to visit the dance studio.

“Fourth day here, you think it’s about time you actually meet your model, or is this the only sort of interaction the two of you are ever going to have?”  
They sit at the bench situated right across from the window, at the usual dance room.  
Seungkwan finds it boring at times to come here with Vernon, they stay for hours and Vernon doesn’t utter a single word, he barely even draws sometimes, just staring at the dancer. Does Seungkwan know the dancer? Of course, he knows exactly who could’ve entranced Vernon in such a short amount of time, it could really only be one person. Lee Chan.  
“I swear Hoshi, he just stares at him, doesn’t even draw, kinda creepy right?”  
Hoshi laughs over the phone, though it comes out static-y and muffled.  
“Chan has really improved though, his facial expressions are amazing, that must’ve been what made Vernon want to draw him”  
Seungkwan agrees with that, the younger one has a very different look on his face when he’s performing, one Seungkwan can barely recognize.  
“Chan would get too high and mighty if he found out someone was drawing him because of his performance ability, hopefully my years of humbling him don’t diminish because of this”  
“Humbling? All you’ve done is fight him for the past 2 years, honestly you might be feeding his ego a bit”  
Hoshi teases, to which Seungkwan scoffs  
“Shut up, He respects me as an elder!”  
“Which is why he complains about you when you’re not around?”  
“I swear I will obliterate Lee Chan”  
Hoshi clicks his tongue  
“Uh-uh, not before vernon is done drawing him”  
And Seungkwan is reminded yet again that his friend may have an unhealthy obsession with Lee Chan.

The past few days Vernon can’t tell if he’s been in heaven or hell. He gets to stare at the equivalent of a fallen angel for hours at a time every day, but he doesn’t even know the boy he’s staring at. Doesn’t know his name, doesn’t know what he likes or dislikes, doesn’t know what he wears casually, all things he becomes more and more desperate to find out about him.  
It didn’t start out this way, it started out with Vernon being drawn to the passion held within his eyes, it struck Vernon as youthful and free, but also highly concentrated. Perhaps he should’ve proceeded with more caution, but there wasn’t even a warning to this.  
Eventually the passionate and free dancing soul became a cheery and cute full faced smile when the boy and his teammates joked around during their sessions. And, although the laugh is drowned out by the walls, it still sounds like one of the happiest sounds Vernon has ever heard. That fondness grew to something more, when the dancer would look frustratingly at the mirror trying to perfect a move, or continue dancing while his teammates sat drinking their water. There was even a moment when everyone had left except Vernon and the dancer. It only had happened once, when Seungkwan decided not to tag along and the rest of the teammates left at an appropriate time, but Vernon couldn’t bring himself to do the same. Watching as the dancer put his head against the wall in exhaustion and revealed a moment of vulnerability, a few rogue tears escaping him. The hallway lights were off as always, the dance room was illuminating even more somehow, Vernon was practically invisible to the other. That’s when Vernon wanted to know everything about him.  
What makes him laugh? What’s his name? What does he get mad about? How does he treat others? Where does his passion come from? What makes him cry? Would he and Vernon get along? Could Vernon make him laugh? Was Vernon allowed to want him?  
Vernon sits at the bench as he thinks of all this, absentmindedly staring at the boy in question dancing his heart out as always alongside his teammates. He’s done it again hasn’t he? He’s over thought to the point of failure, according to his ‘artistic philosophy’ it’s as good as over isn’t it? So why is it when he looks at the countless sketches in his sketchbook he feels a sort of content feeling?  
God, Vernon wants to know him.

“I think I want to meet my model”  
They’re at the same tea shop as always and Seungkwan just about spits his drink out of his nose, which has actually happened before, Vernon couldn’t stop laughing for hours after that incident.  
“Oddly bold of you, I thought you’d dance around asking that for eternity, no pun intended”  
Vernon tilts his head, nerves a mess, was he really that obvious?  
“Well anyways, he’s the shorter one, has highlights an-”  
“I’d have to be an idiot to not know who you were staring at for a week or so straight”  
He wants to curse under his breath, he really was that obvious.  
“Isn’t this against your philosophy? Once you know him you’ll just drown in your own quest of perfection again”  
Vernon scoffs at Seungkwan's needless concern. As if Vernon hadn’t already thought this through, trust me, he’s had a lot of time to think.  
“I want to know even the slightest bit about him, right now it’s like he’s some entity that only exists in the dance studio, better yet the dance room”  
Seungkwan gives a mocking pity look, he wouldn’t hand over such easy information for free.  
“Little Nonie wants me to help, but at what cost?”  
Vernon shoots a glare.  
“What do you mean ’what cost?’ ”  
“I’m just saying, I have something you don’t so you should pay likewise”  
Vernon weighs his options, either awkwardly making his first impression on this guy he’s been staring at for a week or making a slightly less awkward impression with the help of Seungkwan. Vernon sighs.  
“What do you want?”  
A snicker escapes the older man  
“Why don’t you show me some of the sketches you have of him”  
Vernon quickly secures his sketchbook in his arms, hugging it against his chest protectively.  
“Why would you want that?”  
Seungkwan shrugs  
“Just curious how good your art is when you become this passionate about it”  
Vernon has to reevaluate his priorities for a second. The amount of sketches he has of the boy is embarrassingly high, not to mention what situations he’s decided to draw the boy in. An alarming amount are of him laughing, drinking water, Vernon thinks he even got a few of him crying.  
“Desperate times call for desperate measures”  
Vernon whispers through gritted teeth as he hands the sketchbook over to Seungkwan, who acts a little too surprised at having so easily obtained the sacred sketchbook of Vernon’s (This rarely ever happens, Vernon really only shows Seungkwan the failures in his sketchbook so that they can laugh at them together, nothing else). Seungkwan flips through to see page after page of Chan, not a lot of him dancing but he can’t say he’s too surprised that Vernon dedicated the majority of his sketchbook to Chan’s smile.  
Seungkwan also catches sight of one where Chan is crying, he stares at it for a while, seeing Vernon visibly shift in the background when realising what he must be looking at.  
“I got that once everybody left, that was one of the days you decided not to come along with me”  
Seungkwan nods, it’s weird how Vernon had captured Chan so perfectly in that picture. Chan, a man who’s strong in front of others yet even he can only shoulder so much. Passionate to a fault, desperately so. Vernon and Chan are alike in this sense, they often get lost in their own strive for perfection. This picture alone has Sengkwan questioning if Vernon already understands Chan better than he does.  
“His name’s Lee Chan”  
Seungkwan says, handing Vernon’s sketchbook back.  
“That’s all I’m going to tell you, getting to learn about him yourself is the best part about being with Chan”  
And it seems like you already know him good enough


	3. Chapter 3

Although Vernon had been given a name and even a number, he still couldn’t talk to Chan. He barely even went to the dance studio anymore to watch him. It’s the weirdest thing, now Vernon can sketch Chan without even looking at him, his details so finely traced into his mind he fears it might clog his senses. All of this, though, and he hasn’t ever even spoken to him. God, he’s stupid.  
Though, luck seemed to be on his side today.  
“You seriously forgot the book for english?”  
Vernon whines, ever since he got his first tardy about a week ago he’s been a lot more carefree about showing up to class on time.  
“Well, technically no, we’re just cutting it close to when I was supposed to have it by”  
Joshua explains, ignoring the fact that they have to be at english in an hour. Around this time Vernon would usually be at the tea shop with Seungkwan, but today Seungkwan said he was busy and Joshua said Jeonghan had ditched him so the obvious solution was for Vernon and Joshua to actually be productive while they had temporary freedom.  
“I can’t remember the last time I even went to the library, probably beginning of this school year”  
“So, like, 6 weeks ago?”  
They finally make it to the library, it never does change over time, which is both comforting and scary.  
“Jeonghan might be in here, he said he’s ditching me for a study group. Imagine that, Jeonghan ditching me for a study group”  
Vernon laughs because, yes, that is one of the most preposterous things he has heard in a while.  
The library is quite a bit busier than Vernon would’ve imagined, definitely chattier than one would expect a library to be. They make their way to the English section, scanning the shelves before Vernon finds a similar textbook that he remembers grabbing at the start of the year, when students were instructed to get textbooks but Joshua usually lags behind in stuff like this.  
They scan the book at the front desk and just when Vernon thought they were going to leave and end this highly mundane adventure, a voice yells for them.  
“Is that Joshua? And Vernon?”  
Jeonghan jogs up to them which makes the librarian reprimand him for yelling and running in the library even though Jeonghan was definitely not the loudest or most chaotic one occupying it right now.  
“You two are little stalkers aren’t you? Was Joshua sad I ditched him?”  
“No, we came here for a book, you know, what libraries are for”  
Joshua bites back, but the two both laugh anyways.  
“Are any of you taking Anatomy? That’s what my study group is for”  
Joshua and Vernon both reply with a no (Even if Vernon has countless anatomical books for his art, he’d hate to appear helpful to Jeonhan though, he’ll just be taken advantage of). They also infer that Jeonghan has no place in a study group to which Jeonghan innocently questions why they’d ever think that.  
“I’m like a shepherd to my study group of lost sheep, you don’t even know”  
Joshua and Vernon both look at each other with questioning glances, Jeonghan acting both offended and confused, still stuck on proving he’s an actual good upperclassman.  
“Hyung, the group is waiting for you”  
A voice says from behind Jeonghan. The three boys had been talking in front of the checkout desk much to the inconvenience of everyone else in the library.  
Jeonghan steps to the side to reveal someone Vernon hasn’t been able to get out of his head for the past 2-3 weeks.  
“Chan! Joshua, Vernon, this is my lovely baby Chan!”  
Jeonghan goes in to hug Chan but the younger swiftly dodges before extending his hand to shake Joshua’s and then Vernon’s.  
“Hi, I’m Lee Chan”  
Vernon mutters his name quietly because, oh god he feels like he could scream, actually he feels like he could die. What amazing act of good works did he do to have such a fortune be bestowed upon him today? It’s also Vernon's first time seeing Chan in casual clothes, up close and out of the dance room. Lee Chan really was going to clog all of Vernon’s senses.  
“He’s younger than Vernon, can you believe it?”  
Jeonghan says, like those words are so unbelievable  
“I’m not that young, you just like pretending I am”  
Vernon interjects,  
“Yeah, really hyung, you’re just old”  
Chan jokes, looking directly at Vernon while letting out a giggle. Vernon came to the consensus that he could now die happy.  
“How old are you Vernon?”  
Wait, was Chan addressing Vernon directly? Was this a dream? It had to be, there was no other plausible explanation.  
“I was born 98”  
Chan nods,  
“So you’re a year older than me, cool! I don’t have many friends close to my age”  
Vernon gulps. Crap! Is he being too obvious again?  
“Yeah, me neither really”  
Chan smiles, and it doesn’t shock Vernon because he’s already memorised Chan down to the finest points, still, that doesn’t make it any less breathtaking.  
“Oh, I came here to retrieve you”  
Chan points at Jeonghan who’s already playing around with Joshua (because that is just the natural way of doing things for those two.)  
“It doesn’t look like you’re going to get him back anytime soon”  
Chan lets out a breathy laugh and nods, staring fondly at the two playing.  
“Well, I had to get to the studio soon anyways,”  
For whatever reason just the mention of Chan and the studio throws Vernon through a loop. Isn’t the playing field a little unfair here? Vernon has basically been staring at Chan for well over a week, has been thinking about him for even longer, yet Chan had just found out Vernon exists.  
“It was nice meeting you, we should really talk in the future, I hate being treated like a kid constantly.”  
Vernon could understand that, especially when subjected to an overbearing Jeonghan.  
“Yeah, that’d be fun”  
Vernon waves Chan off as he exits the library before having to drag Joshua out as well. Chan was really a different kind of ethereal up close.

“Long time no see, what brings you back to the studio?”  
Hoshi questions, even though it’s only been about 2 weeks since Vernon last visited.  
“My quarter project is due in a couple of weeks”  
Hoshi hums an acknowledgement, sitting on the bench that Vernon usually accompanies.  
“Who’d you choose as a model?”  
Hoshi asked, trying his best not to reveal that Seingkwan had already told him.  
“Though I guess you wouldn’t know his nam-”  
“Chan”  
This time Vernon is the one to interrupt.  
“I talked to him for the first time today but I can’t shake off the feeling that this whole stalking him thing threw off the potential of our friendship”  
They’re both staring at Chan through the window, dancing vigorously and with determination as he always does.  
“You could tell him, but then again that would be awkward”  
“Not only awkward,”  
They pause, listening to the music Chan is dancing along to, it’s a generic love song you’d hear on the radio really, Vernon would much rather listen to the skids and squeaks of Chan’s sneakers on the hardwood floor because those hold a purpose.  
“I think I might like him,”

“How could Vernon tell you and not me!?”  
Seungkwan obviously upset that Hoshi knew of Vernon’s crush before he did (Well, actually, he knew Vernon had a crush on Chan ever since he laid eyes on the dancer but it’s still offensive that Vernon told Hoshi before him, his best friend)  
“Maybe he just needed to get it off his chest, or maybe Chan was too distracting, poor fellow couldn’t look away from him for even a second.”  
Usually Hoshi and Seungkwan’s gossipping is done from opposite sides of the campus, in the comfort of their two separate dorm buildings giggling on the phone like 2 highschool girls, but now they do it in the dining hall, because so much gossipping can really suck the energy out of people.  
“They haven’t even met, how does he know if he likes him or not?”  
“He didn’t tell you?”  
Seungkwan stares at Hoshi with a sense of urgency in his eyes, perhaps a warning for Hoshi to tread carefully, which he does not.  
“He and Chan talked yesterday”  
“Chwe Vernon is dead to me”  
Hoshi laughs, as expected now death threats are being thrown out carelessly though there’s no need to be alarmed, Seungkwan hasn’t followed through on any of them...yet.  
“I think they’d be cute together, like the highschool sweethearts of the friend group”  
Seungkwan makes a gagging sound  
“More like some awkward middle school relationship”  
They both laugh, going on to assign the other relationships in their friend group to specific roles (Such as calling Joshua and Jeonghan Satan #1 and Satan #2).  
“Seungkwan, Hoshi, somewhat the people I was looking for”  
Chan walks over with a plate of food and pushes Seungkwan's backpack off of the only chair not seating an actual person.  
“Kind of? Also rude. Also who said you could sit here?”  
Chan stares innocently at the older two.  
“Can’t a younger brother sit with his two elders?”  
“You always like playing the younger card yet hate it when we treat you as such”  
“Shush, it adds to his personality”  
Seungkwan laughs and agrees, honestly Chan could use the extra help personality wise.  
“Anyways, I came here for a reason”  
Hoshi and Seungkwan ignore Chan momentarily, something the youngest is both used to yet constantly annoyed by. Why can’t he just have normal, caring friends?  
Chan clears his throat in a last attempt for their attention, to which the other two finally look to pay him some mind.  
“What is it, Chan? Come to the great Hoshi for advice?”  
Chan rolls his eyes as Hoshi strokes his own pride unabashedly.  
“No, actually I came here to ask Seungkwan something”  
This throws both through a loop. Chan asking Seungkwan for something? Chan choosing to talk to Seungkwan over Hoshi? Had Seungkwan finally become the new favorite of Chan’s? Suddenly Seungkwan’s whole tone towards Chan had shifted.  
“Why Channie, whatever you need help with I would be more than willing to oblige”  
He says so all while staring directly at Hoshi, bathing in the sense of such a small victory. Chan ignores the weird competitiveness, having learned to do so a long time ago.  
“You know Vernon right? Can I have his number?”  
Seungkwan’s face shatters, and Hoshi laughs hysterically once again, his spot as Chan’s favorite just as secure and steady as it’s always been.

God, Vernon’s going to die, he’s going to die. Did he just receive a text from Lee Chan? How? What? Is this a prank? Since when did Chan get Vernon’s number? He supposes it isn’t weird since they do have quite a few mutual friends but does that mean Chan specifically asked for Vernon’s number? The text is simple enough, ‘Hey, it’s Chan. Is this Vernon?’ Still, Vernon’s fingers were trembling, his mind scrambled at just what he should say? Keep it short and cool. Vernon tells himself, whether it’s good advice or not really doesn’t matter as long as it can stop his hands from shaking.

Chan: Hey, it’s Chan. Is this Vernon?

Hi, yeah it’s Vernon. What’s up?

That should be good enough right? He doesn’t sound too stupid does he? Oh god Vernon is going to die.  
“Chwe Vernon, I’m going to kill you”  
An approaching and very familiar voice yells just behind him.  
Oh god Vernon is going to die.

“How could you not tell me you met Chan? How could you tell Hoshi you like Chan? How come Chan asked me for your number? What’s happening?”  
Vernon should be answering his best friend's fairly legitimate questions but all he can think about was how Chan really had asked for Vernon’s number, the very thought making him want to squeal.  
“I know exactly what you’re thinking, you’re ecstatic he asked for your number in the first place, I bet you guys are texting right now based on how closely you’re holding your phone, you two are so gross.”  
Vernon’s really starting to question if he’s impossibly obvious or if his friend just has a scary intuition. Though he doesn’t care as of now, he can feel his heart beating against chest, just where he has his phone pressed to.  
“Well, you see-”  
A vibration is heard and Vernon immediately stops talking and looks at his phone to see that Chan replied. He’s about to reply back when Seungkwan snatches the phone out of his hands.  
“First of all, you were really going to choose texting your boy crush over me?”  
Seungkwan stares and reads through the short conversation Vernon and Chan have had, not going farther than greetings.  
“Second of all, replying too fast looks kind of desperate,”  
Vernon cracks a smile because it’s such a petty thing to say, he was half expecting his friend to go in on his less than mediocre conversational skills.  
“So why don’t you explain yourself a bit before I absolutely obliterate you”  
Seungkwan stuffs Vernon’s phone in his coat pocket, making it clear that Vernon was not going to get it back until he starts talking. Not that Vernon minds, he needed someone to gush and scream with.  
“I think I really like him, Seungkwan”  
They decide to walk around campus a bit, to talk but also to not be cooped up in the tea shop, which grows in popularity during this time.  
“I can tell. I mean, he’s a nice guy, has very pure ambitions, very happy, he’s hard to describe”  
Vernon can do nothing more but agree, though everything is hard for Vernon to describe, isn’t that what brought him to Lee Chan in the first place?  
“It’s weird, I can draw him now without even looking at him, and I like every drawing I have of him, but I still want more”  
Seungkwan tucks his nose further into his coat, noticing how Vernon’s is going red in the cold weather. Has his friend ever so openly loved someone? Seungkwan can’t remember a time, but why’d it have to be a guy like Chan? Well less who it is more of how it happened, because Seungkwan feels like Vernon may be daydreaming and Chan may be too oblivious for the both of them.  
“I want you to love him, I really do, but you also can’t say you know him that well, so don’t go making such bold claims of love”  
Vernon scoffs, everything that just poured out of Seungkwan’s mouth both reasonable but stupidly found.  
“I never said I love him, just like, and I would get to know him better if you’d just give me my phone back.”  
Seungkwan relents, handing over Vernon’s phone.  
“You’re too much of a romantic sometimes”  
“Isn’t that good for me when it comes to a romantic life?”  
“Fine, you’re too confusing sometimes, I tried to have some tact there”  
The younger doesn’t believe he’s confusing, he simplifies every word that comes out of his mouth, but he doesn’t have time to argue with his friend, they’ve already been doing that for the past 30 minutes.  
“Well, I guess we’ll see who’s right in the end”  
Vernon swings his phone in front of Seungkwan for emphasis  
“I really don’t know if you’re prepared for Chan, or perfect for him.”

Hi, yeah it’s Vernon. What’s up?

Chan: Nothing much  
Chan: Just at dance

Oh yeah  
You’re a dancer

Chan: Hoshi says you’ve watched us practice  
with Seungkwan sometimes

Uhh yeah  
I have

Chan: Who do you think is better?  
Chan: Out of all of us

Idk  
I think I’m biased

Chan: You really choosing Hoshi?  
Chan: At least hesitate a little longer

Hey  
I never said a name

Chan: True  
Chan: So who’s the better dancer?

…  
Hoshi

Chan: Why’d you even bring my hopes up like that

You asked  
I answered

Chan: That is how questions work

Exactly  
So don’t be sad  
I need to keep you as a friend If I ever  
want to escape the clutches of Seungkwan

Chan: Darn Seungkwan and his evil clutches  
Chan: I need to keep you as a friend because everyone else  
treats me like a child.  
Chan: Except Seungkwan  
Chan: He treats me like an annoying dog or smth

Hey  
At least you’d be a cute dog  
Probably like a Shitzu or smth

Chan: Can’t tell if you meant to indirectly call me  
shit or not  
Chan: But I’ll take it as a compliment

Take wut you can get

Chan: It’s called being desperate for good feedback

It’s called needing your ego stroked

Chan: You don’t even know

I wish I did


	4. Chapter 4

The last days have been confusing for Vernon. When Chan texts him, he feels like probably the happiest college boy in the world, but when Chan doesn’t text him Vernon is thinking about how it would be so much better if they could just establish a real life relationship. Chan probably doesn’t view this as complexly as Vernon does, probably because half of their relationship Chan was just a stalkee really.   
“Quarter projects are due in 2 weeks people, remember these go into your portfolio so make them look like they’re yours.”  
Vernon scowls at his teacher for saying anything like that. His portfolio and this weird model sketch project hold no connection to each other. Vernon’s is full of color, shapes, surrealism, this project denies all of these things. Though Vernon kinda likes the thought of putting Chan in his portfolio, even if he’s been negligent to enter the dance studio as of recently.

Chan: You want to come to the dance studio today?

Does everyone he knows have some scary sixth sense of exactly what Vernon is thinking or is this something Chan somehow inherited from Seungkwan? Vernon may never know.

Sure  
I’ll come after my last class  
So like 3 to 4ish

Chan: okayyy

“Did Chan invite you somewhere?”  
Seungkwan asks, he already knows the answer. Vernon won’t stop staring at the clock, his leg jumping up and down, keeps making small complaints about wanting his classes to just be over already and then telling Seungkwan that he’s going to the dance studio but the older isn’t allowed to come with him.  
“Yeah, to the dance studio. I’m really too obvious aren’t I?”  
“To me? Yes. But I’m also your best friend so this just comes with the territory.”  
What scary territory, Vernon thinks, but also, why isn’t Vernon able to have the same intuitions about Seungkwan? Perhaps he’s just dumb.  
“Just one more class”  
Vernon mutters to himself, staring at the clock wall in the tea shop.   
“Does Chan know you’ve been drawing him yet?”  
Vernon quickly shakes his head, alarmed at the thought of that becoming a possibility. Though, sooner or later, it should be said. Seungkwan hopes Vernon realises one thing, and that he realises it quickly. Chan may be oblivious, but he isn’t stupid.

Yo  
I’m here

Chan: Okayy  
Chan: I’ll be there in a sec

Vernon waits at the front desk of the studio awkwardly, usually he just walks straight up to the dance room but, now that Chan knows he’s coming and everything, Vernon thinks if he acts too familiar it could give clues to the escapades that have happened here without Chan’s knowledge.  
“Vernon!”  
He sees Chan run out the staircase, with sweats and a plain white t-shirt that has no right being so loose and thin. Chan runs up to him, out of breath, a light sheen of sweat making his skin appear opaque.  
“You didn’t have to sprint down here to get me”  
Vernon teases, Chan shushes him and guides Vernon to dance room 7. Instinctively, Vernon is about to walk to the window but Chan waves his hand, beckoning him into the dance room. This was a threshold Vernon had not expected to pass through today, really Vernon has yet to fully process that Chan lives outside of the dance studio.  
“Don’t be shy, come in, this is basically my second home”  
Vernon nods, he had half expected to be hit with a life altering feeling when he entered the room. Expected everything would suddenly get lighter or something, maybe he’d finally confess to Chan about the nights he spent staring at him for hours, maybe he’d grab the sketchbook out of his bag he so tightly clutched onto and draw Chan right in front of the boy himself, maybe it’ll feel like time stopped, just like in all those romance movies Vernon insisted he never had the time to watch. But when he heard his shoes make the lightest clack on the hardwood floor he was surprised to see that nothing had changed, Chan was still as real as ever and Vernon’s mouth was still half as dry, and, maybe, this was just a bit more comforting.

“I feel like you’re bored here”  
Chan turns around to see Vernon sitting against the wall opposite to the mirror, Chan’s been practicing for about an hour and has gotten even sweatier, sometimes asking Vernon what he thinks of certain dance moves.  
“Not trying to sound petty, just saying you can do something besides watching me, like homework”  
Vernon looks bewildered for a second, was he supposed to find watching Chan boring? Because that’s what the younger is making it sound like. Not even a normal person would find this lackluster. Chan isn’t just a dancer he’s a performer, as if born for a stage.  
“I don’t have homework, watching you is fun anyways”  
“You don’t have homework? Really? How? I have so much”  
Yet he spends his free time dancing. Vernon finds that cute, a lot cuter than he should. And, even though he’s only been talking to Chan for a week now, he feels like that’s such a Chan thing to do.  
“I guess I have my art project but I don’t know how I’d do that here?”  
“Oh yeah, I forgot, you’re an art major.”  
Chan seats himself up against the wall right next to Vernon, grabbing a hold of his towel and water bottle.  
“What’s your project about?”  
Vernon swallows hard, his hands fly to grab harshly at his bag once again.  
“It’s stupid, just like sketching and such”  
“Why’s sketching stupid?”  
“Because I like color a lot more”  
Chan gives a little ‘ahhh’ of understanding which comes out slightly gurgled from the water in his mouth.  
“Show me some sketches?”  
It sounds more like an offer than a request and Vernon laughs at how Chan somehow made him want to show him the very embarrassing and top secret sketches of his book.  
“Take me out to dinner first, would you?”  
Chan’s eyes light up at that. Vernon likes that about Chan, his eyes. How expressive they are. They change so easily too, one minute he’ll be sulking the next they widen in surprise, Vernon wants to see more of what Chan is able to do with such a dangerous set of eyes.  
“I’ll do you one better”  
Chan hops up from Vernon’s side, stretching slightly and warming up his body.  
“I’ll Freestyle. Song of your choice.”  
Vernon holds back a laugh.  
“What?”  
“I’ll show you some of my art, you show me some of yours”  
Vernon rolls his eyes  
“I’ve been watching you dance for over an hour now, I think I’ve seen enough”  
Chan does some flashy dance moves and poses  
“Seen enough of a routine that isn’t even mine?”  
The older looks to the younger, surprised, he really does have a way of selling himself.  
“I’m an artist too, Vernon, just express it differently”  
“That’s exactly what Hoshi told me when I first met him”  
Chan does a fluid spin for good measure of his warm up.  
“He stole that from me”  
Vernon smiles. To think he heard Chan’s words before meeting him, everything really does feel so skewed regarding Vernon’s perception of their relationship.  
“So you want to watch me freestyle?”  
Chan offers Vernon his phone with the aux connected to the speaker. Vernon thinks it’s a tempting offer, he’d be willing to risk a lot of things just to watch Chan dance. So the obvious answer is,  
“Yes”  
He says it before his brain can fully register what he’s done, he types in the song before he can give himself time to panic. This is when the life altering feeling came. Chan was quick to find the beat, the feeling, his body moved in ways that seemed controlled yet free.

I don't wanna think about nothing  
Just watching you dancing  
Feel like the beginning of something  
In the end, in the end  
All I wanna do is just fall in  
I don't wanna think about nothing 

Chan and Vernon’s eyes meet through the mirror and Vernon has to let go of his bag to now grip at his chest, his heart threatening to jump out. 

Everybody got so much to say  
Every time we push it away  
Every day, a new reason to stay

It wasn’t really a matter of wonder or think, Vernon really couldn’t do anything but know at that point in time. He knew Chan was dancing, he knew Chan was dancing for him, he knew the song projected something within Vernon himself, he knew he was in love with Lee Chan, the question had been answered.

'Cause we got a bigger love  
Won't ever give it up  
We got a one-way ticket love  
We ain't going no place but up

Vernon knows now.

But he isn’t confident, once the song ends Vernon waits a few beats before clapping softly, hearing the heavy breathing of Chan.  
“You’re amazing, might be better than Hoshi, don’t tell him I said that though”  
Chan sits back down, his legs aching and his chest burning, though by now it’s become more than a familiar feeling, maybe even a welcomed one.  
“Oh, I’ll definitely tell him, you’re the one saying I needed my ego stroked”  
Vernon winces at how he’s dug his own grave yet again. Chan’s really going to subject him to a sulky and annoying Hoshi without the slightest hint of guilt? That's just straight cold.  
“Your turn!”  
Vernon’s eyes blew wide, he totally forgot he also had to show Chan his sketches.  
“Umm, this seems unfair, I get to see your current abilities while you get to see my past, of course you’ll look better talent wise”  
Chan scoffs and smiles  
“Aren’t you the artist friend Hoshi says couldn’t draw him?”  
Curse Hoshi, he nitpicked parts of the story to make it seem as if Vernon was a bad artist when really, he’s just a conditional one.  
“Is that all he said?”  
“Yep, basically. I think it’s cool you try drawing people though, I bet you’re pretty good it’s just Hoshi’s so ugly you couldn’t even register him as a person right?”  
The two boys sway with the laughs that escape them, lightly bumping into each other when doing so.  
“Not exactly, probably the opposite.”  
Vernon admits, he tends to humanize things too much. Chan stays silent allowing, and expecting, Vernon to go on with what he was saying.  
“Just, people are complex, so I find I never depict them. Does that make sense? Like I’m drawing an empty shell of that person.”  
Chan nods.  
“I get that, it’s hard to put your own passion into everything. I struggle with it too, when they give us a dance but I just can’t find a feeling I want to put into it. It’s even harder when your emotions are supposed to match your teammates emotional intensity as well, they often complain ‘I'm too much fire not enough smoke’.”  
Though Vernon thinks it’s Chan’s lack of coyness and shyness that makes him so magnetic.   
“I draw strangers mostly, but this particular project I needed to work with a model, so sketching strangers from afar wouldn’t have been so easy.”  
“What’s your plan for the project then?”  
Vernon’s brain goes into flight mode, this was getting dangerously close.  
“Don’t have one yet I guess,...uh... wasn’t I going to show you my sketches?”  
Chan obviously realises the evasive maneuver and does no more to push the question, on the contrary, he offers a new one.  
“You said you didn’t want to show your past abilities so what about this?”  
Chan grabs Vernon’s shoulders and shifts them so that Vernon and Chan’s bodies are now facing each other’s.  
“Why not draw me?”

It took Vernon a good few minutes to stop his fingers from shaking after Chan had asked the question, which of course he had said yes to. Vernon thinks this is dangerous, how he’s unable to tell Chan no even in the slightest, it’ll definitely come back to haunt him one day. Though Chan is a different sort of model to Vernon. Vernon lets Chan stare directly at Vernon while drawing, when usually he instructs others to look away, but Vernon doesn’t have the heart to tell Chan to look away especially when that would be at the cost of not seeing his eyes as clearly. To hell with those beautiful, beautiful eyes. Vernon can barely focus on what he’s drawing, he’s just trying his best not to combust at this point in time.  
“I’m almost done”  
Chan nods the slightest bit, fidgeting with his fingers in his lap. It had probably been 45-ish minutes of complete silence, just the scratching of pencil and erasers against paper in a room that would usually be filled with so much more.  
Vernon drops his pencil and with a sigh looks at what he’s drawn. He knows no matter how bad it is he’s going to have to show Chan but he doesn’t trust his artistic judgement on drawings of Chan, he feels like his vision may be clouded, tinted by a rosy color he’s never looked through before.   
“Are you done?”  
Chan asks, stretching his back and introducing the noise of the cracks of his back.  
“Yeah..?”  
Vernon answers, unsure. He thinks it looks good, never once was he drawing this and thought the rough and sketchy version of Chan looked hollow or any bit less beautiful than the real one. Even if he did, losing a little bit of looks doesn’t mean much when your looks are as great as Chan’s.  
“Let me see”  
Chan crawls to kneel at Vernon’s side and see what the other had spent the last hour making. To be honest, Chan hadn’t expected anything amazing, he’d heard from Hoshi that Vernon couldn’t draw him and immediately thought Vernon just couldn’t draw, he jumps to bold conclusions like that. His point was only proven when he found out Vernon hadn’t taken any art classes prior to college and just became an art major..well...just because. Now he realizes he was gravely mistaken.  
“Wow”  
He says almost breathlessly.  
“That’s me?”  
For a second neither really knows if that could be registered as a compliment or not but when Vernon gives a slight nod Chan’s awestruck face cracks into a smile.  
“You’re really good! Better than that, there’s no way you didn’t take an art class in high school.”  
Vernon looks at Chan perplexed.  
“How’d you know I didn’t take an art class in high school?”  
Chan feels his blush deepen, one he didn’t even know it was there to begin with.  
“I might’ve asked around about you”  
At this point in time the both of them are blushing, eyes staring at the ground.  
“I see, I guess I asked a little about you too”  
Chan is the first to lift his eyes to look at Vernon.  
“What’d you ask about?”  
Anything. That’s what Vernon wants to say, but that requires a lot more backstory than Vernon is willing to give.  
“Just your name, though of course I already knew you were a dance major”  
Chan nods...disappointed? Vernon must be mistaking, wishful thinking really.  
“Where does all your passion even come from? I’ve always been jealous of highly ambitious people”  
Chan had heard it said many times, that he’s very passionate, a hard worker, ambitious, all of it became redundant at some point for him, but it’s as if Vernon had just renewed their meanings.  
“My dad, he always wanted to be a dancer so he started to teach me how to dance when I was like 5. I’ve loved it ever since then”  
Over 15 years of dedication to dance? That’s a lot more than Vernon would’ve thought but still, each year shows through in Chan’s dancing. Vernon seems a little hopeless at this point, because he really likes Chan, even mundane conversations feel so profound to Vernon how was he supposed to handle the profound ones? At this time he could really only think of one thing.  
“You should be the model for my project”


	5. Chapter 5

“You asked him what?”  
Vernon is in just as much disbelief as Seungkwan. How’d he manage to ask him? Better yet why did he ask him?  
“I don’t know what came over me but he said yes and we’re meeting in the art room after class today and I’m freaking out”  
Seungkwan leans back in his chair sighing, this was more down the right track than staring at Chan for hours at a time but, why can’t his friend just find a boyfriend in a simpler, normal way.  
Not only that, now Seungkwan eats lunch with Chan and Hoshi and just the mere mention of Vernon gets Chan going. He asks too many questions about the boy, asks even more on how he should act around him, talks about how amazing he is in almost every aspect.  
“This is the biggest boy crush you’ve ever had Chan”  
Hoshi would tease, though Chan would try his best to deny it without actually denying it, which seems to be what both of the two lovestruck idiots decided to do. Even now, Vernon claims he loves Chan yet won’t say he has a crush on him and Chan says Vernon’s the most understanding, sweetest guy that’s totally boyfriend material yet denies he wants to kiss him.  
“You two are so stupid and gross”  
Seungkwan complains under his breath, but Vernon didn’t hear it, even if he did his mind was otherwise preoccupied with a certain model.

Chan: I’m at the art building  
Chan: I’ll wait outside

I’ll make sure to be quick  
Would hate for my model to die of hypothermia  
Though it’d be easier to draw you if you were still…

Chan: R U D E 

But true?

Chan: …  
Chan: Yes, true

Ik  
I’ll be there in ten

Chan: Hurry, I feel my hands going numb

Vernon scoffs to himself, it’s only mid-October, not even that cold, but that doesn’t stop him from picking up his pace to the art building.  
“Did I keep you waiting long?”  
Vernon asks once approaching the dancer, who rushes inside.  
“You could've just waited inside you know?”  
Chan nods, though he doesn’t want to admit he waited outside just to see Vernon just the slightest bit sooner (Which also might be why he told Vernon to hurry because he was “cold”).  
“I’ve never been into the art building, kind of feels like I’m visiting your home though”  
Vernon wouldn’t necessarily call the art building his home, it does hold sentiment to him but he usually draws outside of it because the building consists of cramped areas and a few too many people for Vernon’s liking.  
“I visited your home, now you visit mine”  
They make their way into the elevator. If the dance studio was short and stout, the art building was slim and tall, which might add to the claustrophobic feeling Vernon can’t shake off from it. They walk down the halls, a lot more narrow and a lot less long than most halls, until Vernon welcomes Chan into the Sophomore art room.  
“Wow,”  
Chan gasps lightly. Though the building may seem unappealing on the outside, maybe even a bit on the inside, some classrooms hold the art that made Vernon decide he wanted to major in art in the first place. Because artists are beautifully messy and Vernon likes the rawness they can hold within such a limited space, maybe even a limited world.  
“Want to see my art portfolio?”  
Vernon asks, setting his bag down on a table right next to the window. Smoothly, he goes to the cabinet where students are allowed to keep their portfolios, or just other works in. Usually you don’t put your real portfolio in here, just the one that consists of your mediocre school assignments or technical practices such as perspectives or anatomical sketches.  
“Portfolio? Does this have like your life’s work in it?”  
Vernon laughs as he hands it to Chan.  
“Not necessarily, you use them to apply to schools and such, or just to watch your improvement. This is my school one, my life’s work is at home, where it’s safe and sound”  
Vernon pops up from his crouching positions, checking his shoes to make sure no rogue art supplies had managed to get on them yet (Because Vernon had gotten paint, charcoal and plaster on his kicks nearly everyday Freshman year, and if you notice it too late you’re shoes are ruined for eternity)  
“It’s basically my baby”  
“You’re a single dad? Cute”  
Vernon sneers to try and distract himself that Chan just called him cute even if jokingly, Vernon is a man who takes what he can get. Chan flips through the portfolio, at the very beginning is just anatomy (maybe he could learn a thing or two from Vernon, because Jeonghan isn’t being very helpful anatomy wise even if he does have the highest grade out of the study group), along with other ‘technical things’ but it doesn’t make the artist’s work any less stunning. Vernon has a way with colors, such as the way he interprets a sunset into a building at a first person perspective, or the clashing and complementary colors of geometrical shapes that pop out at you. It’s at the back that a sense of genuinity and artistic freedom is found. Dripping objects, disproportionate people, each crafted to give an oddly specific and endearing feeling.  
Vernon has always been abstract, something Chan knew ever since he laid eyes on the boy, freshman year. Sure, maybe Chan had been intrigued by Vernon’s colorful clothes, quiet and distant demeanor, maybe so much to the point he’d ask obsessively about him to Jeonghan for the first few months of Freshman year. Eventually it died down, because it’s distracting to think of a cute guy you’ve never met before, especially when you’re dancing and still getting into the ins and outs of college.  
Chan had to admit, he felt somewhat stalkerish at how naturally and easily he could learn about Vernon. He’d see the boy walk the halls and it’s like something in his brain would figure out which classes he had, where he hung out before his English class, sneak and look at his artworks that they hang up in the yearly gallery.   
“Channie, you’re asking about him again? Your boy crush is still going?”  
Jeonghan teased, though he was surprisingly good at keeping Chan’s little (Major) crush to himself, and possibly Joshua. Chan blushed hard, had he already been obsessing over the dude for the majority of his Freshman year? Yes. But it wasn’t a crush. How could you like a guy you’ve never even talked to before? Eventually, Chan learned to just live alongside his supposed crush. He stopped asking questions, he barely ever screamed into his pillow at night, even spent less time Instagram stalking and staring at his eyes. Oh. My. God. His eyes. Chan has spent too much of his life thinking of those eyes, the ones he hasn’t even made contact with, yeah, those ones.   
“How can such a perfect boy exist?”  
Chan would mutter under his breath whenever he caught the boy out of the corner of his eyes. Over the summer going into his Sophomore year the crush died down and he buried himself in his dancing, distracting himself with timeless melodies and the need to be better than Hoshi. He should’ve known Chwe Vernon wasn’t going to be that easy to forget.  
“Chan! Joshua, Vernon, this is my lovely baby Chan!”  
What was Jeonghan doing? Introducing Chan to his crush in a library? Like this is some cheesy romcom? Chan controlled his breath, shook off his palm. ‘It’s cool, we’ve had about a year to learn and control this crush, we’ve had a year where we’ve met a countless number cute-ish boys that could never measure up to Vernon. We can handle this.’ Then he made eye contact.  
If pupils grow when you see the one you love then Chan’s whole iris must’ve turned black and formed into little hearts. How can eyes do something like this to a person? Chan wasn’t weak, he wasn’t fragile, he’s been told his heart is made of steel, but Vernon was his melting point. ‘Okay, Lee Chan, You acted straight all through highschool, what’s a couple more minutes of acting? Especially when face to face with Chwe Vernon, known hottest boy on campus. ‘  
“We should really talk in the future” maybe more. With those words Chan declared himself as the love sick idiot of the millennium.

Chan immediately rushed to get Vernon’s phone number. There’s really not going to be a more natural opportunity for him to slide into this cute boy’s messages right? And, it’s not like Chan was really expecting too much from Vernon. Vernon honestly just seemed like a cool guy, well spoken, thoughtful in everything he does. Sure, people compliment Chan for being passionate to an extreme but that becomes useless when you do so thoughtlessly, many things do, but Vernon looked to be someone who hated mindlessness. Chan thought all of this was hidden in Vernon’s eyes, those beautiful beautiful eyes.  
It was weird how things had fallen into place. With finally meeting and talking to Vernon Chan’s supposed crush was now a supposed ‘god, I desperately want him to be my boyfriend’ and the feelings he had tried to suppress and distract himself from came back ten fold.   
He learned that Vernon isn’t just abstract, not just thoughtful, he’s also careful and tedious, something Chan wished he’d possessed himself because, if he did, perhaps he wouldn’t be in such a hopeless romance. Vernon is also cautious, he dances around words and ideas because he doesn’t want to influence people too harshly. Vernon likes people for how they are, not for them in relation to him. Chan loves that. Loves how Vernon looks at people longingly when they walk around campus together, or how he talks about his friends’ lives more than his own. With each passing day it becomes more obvious, Lee Chan loves Chwe Vernon.  
“I love you”  
Chan murmurs out, shooting his head up to see Vernon once realizing what had just slipped out of his mouth. Vernon looks at Chan shocked, there’s no way he didn’t hear that, right?  
“What?”  
Oh god, Chan was screwed.  
“I love you…….”  
If there was ever a time for Chan to use his fine wits, now would be it.  
“Your art! Wow, this is so amazing!”  
Vernon relaxes, maybe even….deflates? No, that doesn’t sound right in Chan’s head, just chalk it up to wishful thinking and call it a day.   
“Should I get to drawing you?”  
Chan nods, the atmosphere now a bit more awkward than previously, but what should’ve Chan really expected after having so poorly covered up an abrupt confession? Chan forces himself to stare directly into Vernon’s eyes (He’d prefer not to right now because he’s still recovering from his own stupidity). Except, all the sense of worry vanishes when he stares into Vernon’s eyes. Chan likes being drawn by Vernon because it means he can get away with doing so for an extended period of time.   
The art room does wonders to Vernon’s eyes. It’s around early evening and fall has made the sun set sooner, the warm orange light beaming in through the windows and illuminating Vernon’s eyes from a pretty hazel brown to an almost rusted gold. Chan hopes Vernon doesn’t make eye contact with him too many times, or else he might just end up confessing again (That was a joke, Chan has decided to refrain from speaking for the next hour just for safe measures and for the sake of their friendship).  
“What’s your favorite drink?”  
Vernon asks. ‘Why are they suddenly talking? Can’t Chan recover in peace?’ Yet still, Chan wants to tell everything about himself to Vernon, he hopes the other can do likewise.  
“What sort of drink? I’ve gotten into coffee recently, like black coffee”  
Vernon scrunches his nose.  
“I was hoping you’d go with something more fitting of the tone, like tea! Have you ever had tea?”  
Vernon asks almost out of desperation, Chan giggles at how cute the boy gets when hung up on such tedious things.  
“What tone?”  
Chan lets out a shaky breath. Vernon doesn’t have the words to explain it. The warm light onto Chan’s honey like skin, the way his hands were melting when he was drawing Chan, it reminded him of tea, soothing and sweet.  
“What about favorite book”  
“I don’t read”  
Vernon sighs in defeat, he really does romanticize people too much, just like Seungkwan has told him time and time again. Usually the ideas he has of people are ambiguous and easy to fit into, he hardly ever gets the outline wrong, it’s the details he drowns himself in. Yet, Vernon finds he sails through Chan’s details rather easily, now the outlines act as a sort of border control.  
They sit the rest in silence, but it feels a lot more comfortable. Chan thinks his accidental confession had slipped the mind of the other and Vernon thinks his mind was playing tricks on him, forming wishful words. They finish up and,of course, the portrait turned out perfect to Vernon, as all things Chan related do.


	6. Chapter 6

“I got 100%! My teacher even asked if he could show it to the class!”  
Vernon gushes in the usual tea shop with his usual acquaintance. Seungkwan grabs a hold of the portfolio Vernon is swinging around, flipping it open to reveal the face of a particular young boy that has been annoying him everyday at lunch for the whole quarter and going on.  
“Somehow you made Chan somewhat artistic, I applaud you”  
Vernon snatches his portfolio back, looking at the picture lovingly. It wasn’t much, just Chan looking to the side, surrounded by little doodles of flowers and flowy, cursive words. You should applaud the realism, the shading showed the warm lighting and evening glow, it was easy to see exactly where Chan sat when being drawn and each slight feature or emotion was made blatantly obvious. The amount of energy and pride Vernon had when writing his artist signature on a drawing of Chan was unfound. He argues, maybe, that was the best part of the whole project.  
“Seungkwan, Vernon!”  
Vernon nearly jumps out of his seat once seeing Chan in the tea shop, approaching them. Vernon had always thought the tea shop to be a holder of secrets, and having Chan here (Chan probably being one of Vernon’s biggest secrets) it felt like Vernon was just at the tipping point of pouring everything out.  
“How’d you find us?”  
Seungkwan questions accusingly, because he’s heard how many times Chan has gushed about Vernon (and vice versa), there’s no way this was mere coincidence. Chan blushes deeply. Honest to god, Chan hadn’t known this was a regular meeting place for Vernon and Seungkwan, but he was still here because of Vernon. Ever since Vernon asked if he’s had tea, asked if he’s read, Chan has kinda opted to take reading books as a hobby and at least trying tea. He’ll admit, tea isn't his thing, but the coffee at the little tea shop isn’t half bad and they also have a bookshelf so Chan thought maybe he could start visiting here more often, especially when it’s so close to the Dance studio (He used to go all the way to the cafe between the Library and the eatery to get him and his dance members their drinks in the evenings)  
“I just figured out this place existed like, a week ago, and it’s close to the dance studio so it’s just more convenient.”  
Chan shrugs, turning to stare at Vernon and give him a shy little wave, one of which Vernon returns the favor of, Seungkwan has to stop himself from gagging.  
“Is that your art portfolio?”  
Chan asks  
“Ah, or should I say child?”  
He corrects himself, the two giving a laugh as Seungkwan finds himself reverting to third wheel status.  
“No, my child is in my dorm, this is like the neglected one, I already showed it to you.”  
“Vernon, you added Chan’s portrait though, you even got a perfect score on it. You were just boasting about it a few minutes ago”  
Seungkwan decides to help push the two in the right direction regarding getting them to finally admit they like each other, even if at the expense of Vernon’s calmness.  
“You got a perfect score? Awesome! You haven’t even shown me the picture yet though”  
Chan pouts, putting his hand out in expectation that Vernon will hand over the portfolio (AKA the neglected child). Vernon hesitates for a second, before swiftly pulling the portfolio even farther from Chan’s reach.  
“Uhhhh...You can see it at the semester showcase..”  
This way Vernon didn’t have to see Chan’s reaction to it and Chan could still get to see it. Why was Vernon being so coy about it? Because he felt like this picture alone was a confession of Vernon’s love. The amount of romanticism and heart poured into every pore of Chan in this portrait? Embarrassing. Chan nods, letting his hand fall to his side, in what seemed like disappointment.

‘God, these children’. Seungkwan groans internally.  
“Is that a date?”  
Seungkwan says teasingly, snatching the wing-man of the century most likely. The two younger look at him both embarrassed and hopeful, before turning to look at eachother. Chan holds his breath awaiting Vernon’s reply.  
“Do you...”  
Vernon breathes out.  
“Perhaps want to go to the semester showcase with me?”  
Chan nods frantically, a wide smile spreading across his face.  
“That’d be cool..”  
He says in a soft voice.  
“Cool,”  
Vernon repeats back. The barista calls Chan’s name signifying Chan’s leave and Vernon watches as he does so, still processing what just happened.  
“Did...I just ask Chan on a date?”  
“Well, all of that was basically my doing but, sure, take the credit.”  
Seungkwan complains, but Vernon ignores him completely.  
“Did Chan say yes?”  
“Yes, Vernon you good?”  
No, Vernon was anything but good.

“Again, you could’ve done this at the beginning of the year. It’s almost the end of the semester”  
The scene is quite a familiar one, Joshua and Vernon yet again abandoned and heading towards the library. Vernon feels a little more excited though, everyday is one day closer to his and Chan’s supposed ‘date’ and just the thought makes Vernon get an extra spring in his steps.  
“Jeonghan’s with his study group again, studying for the end of semester exams are going to keep him busy for the next few weeks...Maybe I’ll start hanging out with Seungcheol during my free time...”  
They walk into the library, which is now two times as chaotic as their last visit, it seems every study group thought this would be a sufficient meeting place.  
“Wait isn’t Chan in Jeonghan’s stu-”  
“Joshua! Vernon!”  
Jeonghan runs up as he did last time and Vernon feels the strongest feeling of deja vu. Chan’s here. Is all Vernon can think as he looks left to right for the boy. They haven’t really talked too much after Vernon asked him out on the date. They texted quite frequently, but their in face interactions have gotten few and far between due to Chan’s excessive studying and Vernon having to spend his free time helping with the showcase.  
“How’s the study group going?”  
Jeonghan’s face immediately falters as he turns to glare at Vernon.  
“He broke Chan!”  
He accuses, pointing at Vernon. They look confused for a second until Jeonghan pulls them a couple feet closer, so that they can peer from the side of the bookcase and reveal Jeonghan’s study group doing really anything but studying.  
“Jihoon and Mingyu have just been bickering, Jun and Minghao have just been studying for their Korean exams in Chinese, thank god for Wonwoo he’s actually studying but LOOK AT CHAN”  
Chan looks as beautiful as ever to Vernon. Elbow on his book, head slumping in his hand as he dozes off, daydreaming.  
“He’s been like this all day, everyday and it’s all Vernon’s fault”  
Vernon whips his head to Jeonghan, giving him a confused look.  
“Me? How is this my fault?”  
Jeonghan rolls his eyes  
“I’m not going to reveal the ins and outs of Chan’s ‘whipped agenda’ but he can’t even focus ever since you asked him out to the showcase. I’ve received complaints, Vernon. As if I’m Chan’s manager or something.”  
Joshua adds that Jeonghan sure does act like Chan’s manager but is quickly shut down. Vernon continues to stare at Chan. Whipped agenda? Is Chan just as excited for this date as Vernon is? Vernon didn’t think that was even possible.  
“Chwe Vernon, fix this!”  
Jeonghan insists, pushing Vernon out from behind the bookshelf they had previously hidden behind.   
“How?”  
Vernon says, trying to rush back into the comfort of his hiding place but pushed away yet again this time Jeonghan receiving the help of Joshua.  
“I can’t believe this..”  
Vernon mutters as he makes his way towards Chan. Vernon doesn’t know what he’s exactly going to do once getting to Chan but he thinks his brain will come up with something in the short 10 or so foot journey it’ll take to get there. His brain fails him, good thing Chan’s seems to be doing the same.  
“Hi..”  
Vernon says awkwardly, to which Chan doesn’t reply.  
“Hello, Chan?”  
Chan snaps out of whatever state he was in, to bashfully find Vernon is standing right next to him.  
“Chwe Vernon!”  
Chan exclaims. Which causes the rest of the study group at the table to also look their way, immediately realising they are looking at the equivalent of a cheesy college romcom.  
“That’s me, ummm...”  
What should they say? What is there to say? They’ve both been fantasizing about the conversations they would have together once they finally got the time to just talk but, now it was as if something was stuck in the back of their throats.  
“What’s up?”  
“What’re you doing?”  
They both say in unison, simultaneously laughing and cringing at the cliche.  
“You first”  
Vernon insists, sitting to what Vernon can only guess was previously Jeonghan’s seat right next to Chan.  
“Just been studying for exams, but Jeonghan isn’t helpful in the slightest, Wonwoo never talks and everyone else insists on remaining useless”  
Chan vents, slamming his head onto his textbook, which helped to cushion the blow to it. Cute. Vernon thinks.  
“Anatomy, right?”  
Chan nods his head, not moving from where his face is pressed up against his textbook. Vernon lowers his head onto Jeonghan’s textbook, now at eye level with the pouty boy.   
“I’m pretty pro at anatomy. How bout I help you?”  
Chan smiles, not surprised or embarrassed, just purely happy at the offer.  
“I don’t know how much better I’ll be able to focus”  
He jokes, and Vernon hits his back playfully.

Chan: Your dorm right???

Who else’s  
???

Chan: Wow  
Chan: We’re a comedian now  
Chan: Seungkwan has rubbed off on you

Is that a bad thing??  
Wait  
I just realized what I said

Chan: Imagine being Boo Seungkwan

Please  
No

Chan: Nightmare inducing  
Chan: Truly terrifying

Our chats have just become   
roasting Seungkwan parties

Chan: And?  
Chan: What else would you want it to be?

Idk  
Flirting?  
I have yet to use the ;) yet

Chan: Oh yes, the ;)  
Chan: Peak devastation for a horny college boy  
such as myself

;) ;) ;)

Chan: Chwe Vernon  
Chan: Stop  
Chan: The sex appeal  
Chan: It’s too much

Imagine the sex appeal at my dorm ;)  
When I’m teaching you anatomy ;)

Chan: Can’t tell if you’re using the ;)  
ironically or not  
Chan: But I’ll be there in a few

“You have anatomy textbooks galore!”  
Chan says, looking at the shelf full of art related books on it in Vernon’s room.  
Vernon waits patiently at his desk, staring at the pure amazement Chan gets just from his anatomy book collection, he should really see his books about the modern arts.  
“Pick the 4th book to the series, based on what you told me, you should be around that area.”  
Vernon opens his drawer to look at the many books full of his personal notes. Vernon took anatomy in highschool and is glad he opted to keep the notes and even revise them during the anatomical sketches unit in art.  
“I’m about to dethrone Jeonghan and Wonwoo as designated smart boys of the study group”  
Chan says slyly, sitting down alongside Vernon at his desk (Vernon’s desk is quite spacious since he needs lots of room for his art).  
“You’re astonishingly competitive”  
Vernon points out.  
“Is that a problem?”  
“No, not necessarily”  
Vernon flips through the pages after checking the table of contents.  
“Just find it cute….”  
He mumbles shyly. Even if Vernon and Chan both know their feelings are mutual this is still newfound territory for the two and Vernon’s character development has gone from not being able to say anything to now whispering or mumbling slightly flirtatious lines under his breath to which Chan replies likewise to.

“You’re way better at explaining figures than Jeonghan is”  
Chan says. They've been studying for almost 2 hours and are about to wrap it up with the last section.  
“Jeonghan sucks at explaining, he just expects you to understand after one go through”  
Vernon nods, though he knows that isn’t why Chan hasn’t been able to focus as of lately. The whipped agenda. Vernon wonders if Chan’s ‘Whipped agenda’ is anything like Vernon’s. Has he already planned his outfit for their date that is over a week away? Has he been unable to stay in the real world for more than 1 minute at a time? Does he frequently forget the simplest of things such as his own name?  
“I like you”  
Vernon breathed out when Chan had just finished packing all of his study materials away into his bag. Chan straightens himself so he can look at Vernon properly, expecting a quick cover up or Vernon to continue talking, adding context that would give those words a new meaning. But Vernon just stares at Chan’s eyes in his dimly lit room.  
“I like you too”  
Chan smiles,  
“Have for a while now, I think I liked you first”  
Vernon scoffs  
“Really? Well I confessed first anyways”  
Chan pretends to think for a while before shaking his head.  
“No, I think I did, in the art room. Took all of my brain power to dig myself out of that one”  
Vernon throws his head back in laughter.  
“Wait, you actually said you liked me then? I thought my mind was playing tricks on me”  
Chan nods, unexpectedly proud.  
“So I win!”  
“Win at what?”  
Chan stands up, Vernon slowly guiding him out of his dorm.  
“I win at confessing first, liking you first and I even reached out to you first”  
Chan gives two gentles slaps to Vernon’s cheek.  
“Try harder, Chwe Vernon, I’m doing all the work here”  
Vernon rolls his eyes as he opens the door for Chan to leave.  
“I asked you on a date first”  
“That was basically Seungkwan”  
Vernon gives a cute pout as Chan slowly walks backwards out of the warm dorm into the crisp coldness of the outside.  
“Current score? Chan - 3, Vernon - 0, Seungkwan - 1!”  
“Seungkwan was right, you are annoying”  
“Yet you’re still going to walk me back to my dorm right?”  
“Oh, most definitely”


	7. Chapter 7

“Vernon, calm down.”  
Seungkwan repeats for the umpteenth time today. How? Today is Chan and Vernon’s very first official date, the one Vernon had been fantasizing about and planning for over a week now. After school he needs to hurry and add the finishing details for his exhibit, get home and freshen up for Chan, then meet him at the dance studio then, and most frightening of all,  
“I’m going to tell Chan I stalked him for a week”  
Seungkwan looks astonished and proud of the boy for finally progressing their relationship of his own free will.  
“I totally forgot that was a thing! You totally did stalk him didn’t you? Well it wasn’t really stalking but I don’t know, maybe Chan will find it romantic?”  
Seungkwan doubts his own words because Chan doesn’t find a lot of things romantic, he’s quite a literal person like that (Seungkwan had to convince Vernon not to get Chan flowers for this date unless he wants to be endlessly teased by the younger. Vernon thinks he’ll save that for a special occasion.)  
“Well, I’m going to tell him when he visits my exhibit!”  
Vernon says, headstrong. He’s rehearsed exactly what he’s going to say to Chan over and over again. To him, it sounds smooth and well put together but, heaven knows what Chan will think. Loving, beautiful, passionate and funny Lee Chan.  
“It’s so gross, I can tell exactly when you’re thinking about Chan. Honestly, I don’t know what you see that’s so cute and dreamy about him, he’s a brat.”  
“Seungkwan, you’re as bitter as a third wheel gets”

“Chan, you’ve been dancing nonstop for nearly three hours now. I know it’s about your date too! Vernon asks you on one date and now you can’t think of anything else.”  
Chan doesn’t stop to talk back to Hoshi. He stares intensely at himself in the mirror, seeing how the dance moves look and how his expressions fit them.  
“Shush, I’ll take a break soon. Okay?”  
Hoshi rolls his eyes, knowing that that’s a lie.  
“If you’re going to make this a recurring thing, you’re going to have to be willing to give up a couple hours of your grueling dance practice routines”  
“It’s not about getting the hours in”  
Chan mumbles. Sure it used to be, he wanted to be the best, wanted to look the best he could, dance was like an escape for him.It still is, just in a different sense.  
“I need something to make the time pass faster”  
Hoshi smiles at the blush and awkward body language Chan shows just from saying those few words. He has half a mind to tease the younger but bites back his tongue, hopping up to join Chan by his side.  
“How much longer are you planning on staying here?”  
“About an hour more, why?”  
Chan cheekily smirks back.  
“I’ve heard I’m a good distraction”  
Chan scoffs but still pulls out his phone to turn on their team’s performance song.  
“Let’s hope you can beat out Chwe Vernon then”

Vernon stares at himself in the mirror, has been doing so for way too long. He checks his watch to see it’s about time he heads out to meet Chan at the dance studio. Still, Vernon wonders if his outfit is too casual, like, this could be a life defining evening for him. The outfit in question is very ‘Vernon’. Colorful hoodie, denim jacket with garnishing patchwork overlaying it and a simple black jean. Initially, Vernon wasn’t going to wear the denim jacket but then he started fantasizing about Chan getting cold when Vernon walks him back to his dorm and Vernon offering it to him and then Chan returning it a few days later after washing it with his laundry detergent so the jacket smells like him. And yes this was a fantasy Vernon had vented to Seungkwan about with the older making gagging sounds for comedic effect.  
Vernon gives himself one more look over before heading out of his dorm, heading over to the dance studio.

The rush Chan went through to get from the dance studio to his dorm, then to get ready, then to get back to the dance studio was ridiculous but totally worth not having to appear as a sweaty, smelly and hobo-looking version of himself to Vernon. Chan was pretty proud of his outfit, plain white button up that ended around mid-forearm, slightly worn out jeans, and a jacket Seungcheol had given him as a gift but he never really had a chance to wear (Sadly, for Chan, this is one of the only events he’s gone to that would warrant somewhat nice attire.)  
Chan was still worried, maybe more than that. Vernon had asked him out on a date and they were most definitely flirting as of now but, Chan’s good at ruining things. Yet, when he runs down the path towards the dance studio and sees an approaching Vernon in such a ‘Vernon like’ outfit, worry evaporates into a warmer feeling inside him.  
“Vernon!”  
Chan yells gleefully, running up to the boy who had been previously on his phone. Vernon immediately pockets his cellular device once seeing Chan, a cutie in a button up and a jacket. Well, there goes his fantasies, not that he was disappointed to see Chan sporting a stylish look, because Vernon’s only really seen him in sweats, T-shirts, hoodies and the occasional polo.  
“You look nice”  
Vernon comments, whether he’s being sarcastic because of Chan’s current out of breath and sweating state or because he’s too whipped to completely disregard things is above the both of them.  
“I could say the same to you”  
Chan absolutely loves Vernon’s outfit, likes how it fits the image of the other almost perfectly. Though, he wishes Vernon would put the hood of his hoodie down so he could get a better look at the pretty boy’s face.  
“Please do”  
Vernon replies cheesily, Chan leans a little closer so Vernon can hear him whisper,  
“You look nice”  
They both can’t hide the blush on their face.

The art gallery isn’t jam packed but, still pretty busy for having just started. They get a map at the doorway that shows exactly where each student’s exhibits would be.  
“My dancer friend Minghao also does art, he’s a year ahead of you, we could go check out his exhibit”  
Vernon nods, he thinks spending some quality time appreciating good art with Chan would be best before the inevitable happens. Vernon hasn’t forgotten what he promised himself he'd tell Chan. ‘So, you wanna know how I fell in love with you? Well, I stared at you dancing every evening for over a week, even saw you cry, and then I just kinda started loving you.’ It doesn’t roll off the tongue as Vernon’s lengthy and more collective inner dialogue had but he thinks this revision might just be more realistic.  
They stop by Minghao’s exhibit only to see Minghao, Jun and a lone Seungkwan talking amongst themselves.  
“Minghao, you’re art exhibit turned out good”  
Chan walks into the little cluster the three boys had made themselves into. They open up to allow Vernon and Chan to join them.  
“Yeah, I spent days deciding which pieces I wanted to put up”  
“I helped”  
Jun barges in, which causes the three dancers to fall into a conversation of their own, which Vernon doesn’t mind, he has Seungkwan to cling to.  
“I see Chan wore a jacket, R.i.p you’re disgusting fantasy”  
Vernon nudges Seungkwan’s side with his elbow  
“Pssh, whatever. If this is the only thing to go wrong this evening I’ll chalk it up to a success”  
“So….you’re saying if he didn’t have a jacket you’d basically have a perfect evening?”  
Vernon wouldn’t necessarily say so because, with his luck, he’ll probably get so much more wrong but, yes, so far this was the only set back.  
“Technically, yes”  
Seungkwan smiles to himself.  
“I have a great idea”  
He says, patting Vernon’s shoulder as he makes a short beeline to Chan. Vernon goes into slight panic and is quick to follow behind but stops short of a Seungkwan wrestling to take Chan’s jacket off of him. (Well perhaps wrestling is too dramatic, neither of them can really hold up much of a fight. Also, to fight in such a fine establishment would be hitting a new low for both of them). Eventually Seungkwan snatches Chan’s jacket and runs away to what others can only assume to be out of the exhibit.  
“There goes our designated third wheel”  
Jun sniffs, wiping away at his fake tears.  
“There goes my jacket. Can someone please explain to me why I was just openly mugged by Seungkwan? Better yet, why didn’t anyone help me?”  
“I don’t know, ask your date.”  
Chan looks directly at Vernon who’s only standing a few feet away from where the ‘brawl’ had ensued.  
“I thought it was cute watching you fight so hard for your jacket”  
Vernon teases, approaching the other and patting at his shoulders in almost an act of pity.  
“Besides, you’re the one who said Seungkwan has started to rub off on me”  
Chan sighs.  
“If you start acting anymore like him I’m actually going to punch you”  
“Threats? Now look who’s acting like Seungkwan”  
“It’s not a threat if you follow through”  
Vernon both laughs and shuts up at that. The next hour they hop from one exhibit to another in no specific order really, they just see one they think looks interesting and look at them together. Chan had already insisted on Vernon’s exhibit being the grand finale, not that Vernon could really argue, it seemed like a good enough plan.  
“I’m done with all these mediocre exhibits. Where’s your exhibit?”  
Chan starts scanning over the provided map while Vernon makes a snarky comment on the twisted compliment that had left Chan’s mouth just moments ago.  
“My exhibit? It’s to the left of the entrance, should be like the very first down that hallway”  
It was sheer luck that Vernon’s exhibit was at such a convenient place. Now they could just look at it and head straight out, to what Vernon wants to add, ‘away from people.’ And, after confessing to his stalking type deal, being far away from anybody that isn’t Chan sounds rather calming.  
They make their way there, fighting against the flow of people coming into the exhibit.  
Instinctively, they grabbed onto each other’s hand as to not lose each other in the chaos but, once out and a little more free, they found neither of them wanted to stop.  
To both it felt like a dream, staring at Vernon’s exhibit, hands intertwined in possibly the most quiet section of the gallery, or maybe other things just cease to exist when you're in such a euphoric state. Chan guides Vernon the two steps to each of his works. Stopping at the center where Vernon had decided to hang Chan’s portrait.  
“You really did amazing at drawing me..I must’ve been an awesome model”  
He teases, though he knows it isn’t true. Vernon just has a passion that translated well into ability, perhaps even more than just well.  
“Most beautiful model I have ever seen”  
Vernon squeezes a little tighter at Chan’s hand and Chan returns the favor. Vernon’s mouth starts to dry as remembers, he still needs to tell Chan, the timing is at its prime. It’s now or never.  
“Err, Chan...”  
Chan shifts his attention from Vernon’s art to Vernon (Which, as far as Chan knows, Vernon might as well be considered a piece of art)  
“I have something I sort of need to tell you..”  
Chan nods slightly. He doesn’t know what Vernon could possibly tell him, his extreme mindset has him thinking it’ll either be really bad news or really good news, in between doesn’t work for Chan.  
“About, like, how-”  
God, what was Vernon even trying to say? Now even the revision seemed like too much of a stretch for Vernon’s simple and short circuiting mind.  
“Um, like, first quarter..I sort of..”  
Chan grips even tighter onto Vernon’s hand to encourage him to keep going with whatever the boy was trying to say.  
“Well, I watched you dance, for a while...without you knowing..”  
Chan blinks a couple times.  
“Huh?”  
Vernon hates to have to elaborate any further.  
“Well, I needed a model and so Seungkwan introduced me to Hoshi because of the whole ‘only being able to draw strangers’ thing but then I couldn’t even draw Hoshi. So, Hoshi offered that I could use one of his teammates as a model without them knowing because I’d just be creepily peering through the back window and I took the chance and then I saw you dancing and at first it was like just interest but then I really started liking you and wanting to know more about you but you were also my model for the project so I couldn’t really get to know you that well and god knows Seungkwan wasn’t helpful and-”  
Chan cuts Vernon off by bringing his pointer finger up to the other’s lips. Chan basically got the jist of what Vernon was confessing to and, though it was unexpected, he wouldn’t say they were on completely unequal footing here.  
“I might’ve also low-key stalked you in Freshman year”  
Chan admits, Vernon looks at him confused.  
“You liked me in Freshman year?”  
Chan nods bashfully and Vernon’s smile only grew.  
“You have to tell me what forms of stalking. Instagram stalking? How long have you even had my phone number? A year?”  
Chan guides Vernon out of the showcase away from the eyes and ears of others.  
“I’ll tell you once you give me more details about you’re supposed stalking”  
Vernon feels a heavy weight lift off his chest, one he hadn’t realized had been there before.  
“Now walk me back to my dorm, it’s cold out here”  
Vernon has since learned to take every word of Chan’s as more than just a word.  
“If I give you my jacket will you walk around campus with me a little longer?”  
Chan finally peels his hand away from Vernon’s and Vernon’s already stripping his denim jacket off to offer to Chan. They walk around for a while, Vernon talking about his inner battle with himself the whole time he was pursuing Chan and Chan talking about how to act straight when in front of your boy crush and how that can take a serious toll on your mental well being. Sadly though, they find themselves at Chan’s dorm, a place where they’ve only ever parted from each other.  
“Thanks for being my model, Lee Chan”  
Vernon says as they settle before Chan’s door.  
“Oh, I’d do anything to satisfy the Chwe Vernon, better yet let's call you Vercasso”  
Vernon scrunches his nose playfully.  
“Not Vercasso, anything but that.”  
“What would you want to be called? DaVernonie?”  
Vernon steps a bit closer, clasping his hand in Chan’s.  
“How about you call me your’s?”  
Chan throws his head back in laughter, not able to stop and form words. Vernon should feel embarrassed, but knowing he made Chan laugh like that, getting to hear Chan’s perfect laugh, Vernon can’t help but feel anything but proud.  
“Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?”  
Vernon nods, tilting his head so Chan’s forehead is pressed against his own.  
“Am I going to say yes?”  
“Most definitely”  
“Good”  
They stand there for a minute, hugging each other, only listening to the heavy breathes of the other and feeling the racing heartbeats pulsing between them.  
“I love this”


	8. Bonus

“Your art has really improved, maybe you should try drawing me again”  
Chan says, cozily on their couch. Vernon scoffs, bringing over their two teas and taking a place right next to Chan.  
“I would be disappointed if I haven't gotten better since then”  
Chan laughs at that. That would be pretty pathetic.  
“And today’s the anniversary”  
Chan gets up from his lying position on the couch so he can snuggle into Vernon’s side. He’s holding Vernon’s old sketchbook, the one with all the rough sketches of a certain boy dancing with the same passion he’s always had (and still does).  
“Anniversary? Of what? I forget”  
Vernon jokes but gets an elbow digging into his side as a response.  
“The day you asked me to be your boyfriend, day we admitted we’re both creepy stalkers”  
Chan lists off.  
“Day the score went from Chan-3, Me-0 and Seungkwan-1 to Chan-3, Me-3, Seungkwan-1”  
Vernon adds, which causes the two to comprise a list together.  
“The day you first kissed me”  
Chan adds, which they had done shyly and gingerly only a few moments after Vernon had asked if they could go steady. The kiss still being the best and warmest kiss either had ever had.  
“The day you very smoothly asked me to move in with you”  
Vernon likes that day a lot more than the others. Chan had surprised him with keys to an apartment and a welcome mat they put right in the front doorway. Of course the best part was how Chan had given it to him, through a dance performance in the likes of Vernon’s dorm when everyone else had left.  
“The day you fell into the river”  
“The day you also fell in with me”  
Chan turns to look at Vernon.  
“I’ve fallen for you in so many ways, it wasn’t going to end at a cold river in mid-october”  
“My hero, Lee Chan”  
They pause content for a moment, taking a sip of their tea together.  
“My favorite day of today? When we proposed to each other”  
Vernon guffaws at the memory. He and Chan had both been acting like a nervous wreck the whole day, having gone out to a nice dinner, spent a mellow evening at home and finally finished at their balcony, basking in the awkward yet loving company of each other. Somehow, they both had gotten down on one knee, holding out a ring to the other, at exactly the same time. No one knows how they did it, but they were hopping with glee as they both screamed yes on repeat to each other and were amazed at how the rings fit so perfectly.  
“I liked when I married you, though you thought a fall wedding was stupid”  
“It still is, we just made it work”  
They ignore how they both had cried like babies when giving their vows. Chan had promised to deal with Vernon’s complex nature yet oversimplified words, promised that he’d never let the initial passion he had for Vernon die down for even a second. Vernon had said that he would never forget to nurture Chan’s need to achieve greatness, never forget to love what God had so graciously given him. The kiss they shared after that was a bit salty but it felt as if it was their first all over again. Vernon smirks.  
“As we always do”  
They cuddle closer together, Chan setting aside Vernon’s old sketchbook and opting to replace it with Vernon's hand, the one that has the ring that fits so perfectly and shines so beautifully.  
“What are we going to do today?”  
“Hmm, I don’t know. I’m drawing a blank”  
“You should draw me”  
Vernon kisses Chan on the forehead, then his eyelid.  
“I think I’ll just be in love with you again today, how about that?”  
“Sure, sounds good, I’ll do that too”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because I need more Verdi content in my life and have become desperate


End file.
